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Maps · head to head

ArcGIS Survey123 vs GPS Trackit

ArcGIS Survey123 logo

ArcGIS Survey123

Maps

Form-centric field data collection that writes straight into an ArcGIS organisation

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
GPS Trackit logo

GPS Trackit

Fleet Management

Vehicle tracking for small and mid-size fleets with no long-term contract

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ArcGIS Survey123 the app is free and the licensing is not: every person completing a secure survey needs a paid ArcGIS user type, so a hundred-person field programme costs tens of thousands a year before anyone counts credits.; GPS Trackit month-to-month pricing carries a premium, so measured across three years the total cost usually exceeds a competitor with hardware amortised into a term contract.
  • They diverge on capability: ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, GPS Trackit covers Live tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ArcGIS Survey123 and GPS Trackit actually diverge.

Attributes where ArcGIS Survey123 and GPS Trackit differ
AttributeArcGIS Survey123GPS Trackit
Pricing modelPer user per year by ArcGIS user typePer vehicle per month
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, WindowsWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryMapsFleet Management

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ArcGIS Survey123

  • XLSForm authoring
  • Web designer
  • Offline collection
  • Direct ArcGIS write
  • Repeats and nested records
  • Media and signature capture
  • Webhooks and integration
  • Reports

Only in GPS Trackit

  • Live tracking
  • Driver behaviour
  • VidFleet cameras
  • Maintenance reminders
  • Self-installed devices
  • Alerts and reports

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ArcGIS Survey123

  • A water utility recording hydrant inspections that must appear on the corporate asset map the moment they are submitted, not after a nightly importnot GPS Trackit
  • A local authority running a public consultation where anyone can submit without a licence, while staff review responses in an ArcGIS dashboardnot GPS Trackit
  • An environmental monitoring programme with complex conditional forms authored in XLSForm and completed offline in areas with no signalnot GPS Trackit
  • A field crew already licensed for ArcGIS Field Maps that needs structured forms alongside map-based editing without adding another vendornot GPS Trackit

GPS Trackit

  • A contractor whose fleet size swings with the season and who cannot justify a three-year commitment on vehicles it may not run next springnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • A small service business trialling telematics for the first time that wants an exit if drivers or supervisors do not adopt itnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • A fleet that needs devices fitted the week they arrive, without booking installation appointments across a depotnot ArcGIS Survey123
  • An operator replacing a vendor mid-contract that wants a stopgap platform rather than another long agreementnot ArcGIS Survey123

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ArcGIS Survey123

  • The app is free and the licensing is not: every person completing a secure survey needs a paid ArcGIS user type, so a hundred-person field programme costs tens of thousands a year before anyone counts credits.
  • Esri does not publish user type prices on its main pricing pages, so buyers reconstruct the cost from marketplace listings or a sales conversation, which makes budgeting an ArcGIS rollout unnecessarily opaque.
  • Credits are consumed by geocoding, storage and some analysis, and a data collection programme that generates heavy attachment volumes can burn through the bundled allowance and trigger a mid-year top-up.
  • It is useless without ArcGIS. There is no standalone deployment, so the decision to use Survey123 is really a decision to buy or keep an ArcGIS estate.
  • Form authoring splits between a web designer that is easy but limited and XLSForm plus Survey123 Connect that is capable but requires learning a spreadsheet syntax, and teams routinely start in the wrong one and rebuild.

GPS Trackit

  • Month-to-month pricing carries a premium, so measured across three years the total cost usually exceeds a competitor with hardware amortised into a term contract.
  • The feature set is tracking-first, with a shallow maintenance module and no meaningful work order, parts or inventory management, so fleets serious about maintenance need a second system.
  • Compliance tooling is basic, and a fleet that takes on regulated interstate work will find the hours of service capability behind vendors built around the mandate.
  • The integration list is short and the API is limited, so pushing telematics data into payroll, job costing or an ERP normally becomes a manual export routine.
  • Self-installed OBD-II devices are easy to fit and equally easy for a driver to unplug, and the tamper reporting does not make up for the fact that the physical device is within reach of the person being monitored.

Pricing, plan by plan

ArcGIS Survey123

On request
  • Survey123 appFree
    • No separate charge for the app itself
    • Requires an ArcGIS Online or Enterprise organisation
    • Public surveys can be completed without a licence
  • Creator user type$undefined/year
    • Required to author and publish surveys
    • Foundational user type, can administer the organisation
    • Includes an annual credit allowance
  • Mobile Worker user type$undefined/year
    • Required for each person completing a secure survey
    • Dependent user type, must be added to an organisation with a foundational licence
    • Public marketplace listings have shown around $400 per year

GPS Trackit

On request
  • GPS Trackit$undefined/month
    • Month-to-month subscription per vehicle with no minimum term
    • Tracking hardware supplied with the subscription
    • Camera hardware and video plans charged separately

Which should you pick?

Choose ArcGIS Survey123 if

  • You need xlsform authoring.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
  • You also want web designer.
ArcGIS Survey123 review

Choose GPS Trackit if

  • You need live tracking.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want driver behaviour.
GPS Trackit review

Questions people ask

Is ArcGIS Survey123 or GPS Trackit better?
Neither clearly leads. ArcGIS Survey123 starts at On request and GPS Trackit at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ArcGIS Survey123 or GPS Trackit?
ArcGIS Survey123 starts at On request and GPS Trackit at On request.
Does ArcGIS Survey123 or GPS Trackit run on more platforms?
ArcGIS Survey123 runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. GPS Trackit runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is ArcGIS Survey123 best used for?
ArcGIS Survey123 is most often used for a water utility recording hydrant inspections that must appear on the corporate asset map the moment they are submitted, not after a nightly import, a local authority running a public consultation where anyone can submit without a licence, while staff review responses in an arcgis dashboard, an environmental monitoring programme with complex conditional forms authored in xlsform and completed offline in areas with no signal, a field crew already licensed for arcgis field maps that needs structured forms alongside map-based editing without adding another vendor. Of those, a water utility recording hydrant inspections that must appear on the corporate asset map the moment they are submitted, not after a nightly import and a local authority running a public consultation where anyone can submit without a licence, while staff review responses in an arcgis dashboard are not what GPS Trackit is typically brought in for.
What can ArcGIS Survey123 do that GPS Trackit cannot?
ArcGIS Survey123 covers XLSForm authoring, Web designer, Offline collection, Direct ArcGIS write. GPS Trackit covers Live tracking, Driver behaviour, VidFleet cameras, Maintenance reminders.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ArcGIS Survey123: Is Survey123 free?

The app is. Using it is not, unless your surveys are public. Authoring needs a Creator licence and each person completing a secure survey needs a Mobile Worker, Editor, Creator or GIS Professional user type.

GPS Trackit: Is there really no contract?

The subscription is month to month, but read the hardware terms. Devices are supplied on the expectation they come back, and unreturned units are charged for.

ArcGIS Survey123: How much are the user types?

Esri does not list them on its main pricing pages. Public marketplace listings have shown roughly $700 a year for Creator and $400 for Mobile Worker; confirm with Esri or a distributor for your region.

GPS Trackit: How does the cost compare to Samsara or Verizon Connect over three years?

Generally higher per vehicle, because those vendors discount in exchange for the commitment. The comparison only favours GPS Trackit if you value the ability to leave.

ArcGIS Survey123: Can respondents fill in a survey without a licence?

Yes, if the survey is shared publicly. Secure surveys require a licensed user type.

GPS Trackit: Can drivers unplug the tracker?

A plug-in OBD-II device can be removed in seconds. The system reports the disconnection, but enforcement is a management problem, not a technical one. Hardwired units are available for fleets where this matters.

ArcGIS Survey123: Does it work offline?

Yes, in the mobile app, with sync when connectivity returns.

ArcGIS Survey123: Is it the same as ArcGIS Field Maps?

No. Field Maps is map-centric editing; Survey123 is form-centric. Many organisations license both, which doubles nothing because user types cover the whole app suite.

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